Russian Soldiers Detain Georgian Fishermen
South Ossetian authorities are holding four Georgian teenagers arrested last week in the breakaway capital, Tskhinvali, and accused of carrying grenades and other explosive material.
November 11, 2009
TBILISI -- Russian soldiers have detained five Georgians who were fishing in waters near the breakaway region of Abkhazia, RFE/RL's Georgian Service reports.
The Georgian Interior Ministry said the detained men were transferred to a detention center in Sukhumi and officially accused of illegal border crossing and illegal fishing.
Georgia's Foreign Ministry called the incident "a dirty provocation by the Russian side" and demanded the immediate release of the detainees.
It is at least the fourth time in recent weeks that Georgian citizens have been detained by Russian soldiers or South Ossetian security forces for illegally crossing a border.
Meanwhile on November 11, Georgian and Russian delegations held talks in Geneva on the safety and return of refugees who had to leave Georgia's breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia after the five-day Russian-Georgian war in August 2008.
Delegations from Abkhazia and South Ossetia also took part in the talks.
The
arrest of four Georgian teenagers by South Ossetian authorities last week was also set to be discussed in Geneva.